Sheffield, Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Sheffield is a town situated 23 km inland from Devonport
on the north-west coast of Tasmania
, Australia
's island state. Sheffield has long been the rural hub for the Mount Roland area. The Sheffield area is well known for its high quality butterfat production via dairy farming. The area is suitable for lamb and beef production. The town of Railton
is nearby. At the 2006 census
, Sheffield had a population of 1,397.
In North West Tasmania, Sheffield as one of the many early townships was settled in 1859. The town was named 'Sheffield', by Edward Curr
after his home town in Sheffield
, South Yorkshire
, England
.
Sheffield has become a major tourist attraction due to it being promoted as "Town of Murals", based upon the instrumental contribution of local tourism pioneer Brian Inder
.
The first town mural was painted in Sheffield in December 1986. Since then over 60 murals depicting the area's rich history and beautiful natural scenery are painted on walls scattered throughout the town and buildings along the roadside. The murals attract an estimated 120,000 people to the town annually.
In the heart of Sheffield, there are a number of studios open to the public where visitors can watch the artists as they do their work. Artists of every discipline, including photography, fine art, glass, woodcraft, pottery, ceramics and specialised crafts.
The Wilderness Gallery Mural Fest art competition has been held annually since 2003 and will return again in April 2011. The poem for the next competition is "Power of Community" by PB Tewson. After each competition the 9 finalist murals remain on display at Mural Park for approximately 12 months until the next competition.
There are many natural attractions in the Sheffield area.
Mount Roland Conservation Area & Regional Reserve
The reserve consists of 7600 hectares surrounding the range. A number of well marked bushwalks are all suitable for a day of pleasant exercise. There are walking tracks from both Claude Road and Gowrie Park to the summit. The walk takes in the plains and plateau leading to the summit of the peak. There are two tracks to the summit which provide spectacular 360 degree views to Bass Strait, Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff.
is known as an international standard rowing venue and a previous site of the 1990 World Rowing Championships
. It was created in 1969 by building the Devils Gate Dam on the Forth River.
The lake is also a popular water ski location with access for the public via West Kentish and Wilmot. There are two water ski clubs based at Lake Barrington: Kentish Aquatic Club and Horsehead Water Ski Club.
The lake is also used for canoeing and trout fishing. There is an adventure playground and a two-hour rainforest walk. Facilities for visitors include picnic sites, boat ramps and toilet facilities.
It is one of the thinnest concrete arch dams in the world. It was completed by the Hydro-Electric Commission in 1969 and is 84 m high. The narrowness of the gorge and the computer-aided design of its double-curvature shape enabled engineers to minimise the volume of concrete and hence the cost of the dam. Flood waters falling freely from the crest strike concrete slabs carefully positioned on the abutments to prevent undermining of the dam by erosion.
are a geothermal feature and semi-developed visitor site located within the town of Kimberley. The micro climate created by the warm springs results in a unique habitat.
construction village.
is approximately one hour's drive south-west of the township. The mountain is accessible from the northern end of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. There are numerous walks available, ranging from short to multi-day.
power stations are controlled from the Hydro control centre in Sheffield
Devonport, Tasmania
-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
on the north-west coast of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's island state. Sheffield has long been the rural hub for the Mount Roland area. The Sheffield area is well known for its high quality butterfat production via dairy farming. The area is suitable for lamb and beef production. The town of Railton
Railton, Tasmania
Railton is a town situated 20km inland from Devonport on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia's island state. At the 2006 census, Railton had a population of 900. It was first known as Redwater Creek and became known as Railton after the construction of a tramway line in the 1860s...
is nearby. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Sheffield had a population of 1,397.
In North West Tasmania, Sheffield as one of the many early townships was settled in 1859. The town was named 'Sheffield', by Edward Curr
Edward Curr
Edward Micklethwaite Curr was an Australian pastoralist and squatter.-Biography:Curr was born in Hobart, Tasmania , the eldest of eleven surviving children of Edward Curr and Elizabeth Curr...
after his home town in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Sheffield has become a major tourist attraction due to it being promoted as "Town of Murals", based upon the instrumental contribution of local tourism pioneer Brian Inder
Brian Inder
Brian Inder is a tourism pioneer of North Western Tasmania, Australia. On his property at Staverton near Lake Barrington he has established one of the world's largest maze complexes, called Tasmazia....
.
The first town mural was painted in Sheffield in December 1986. Since then over 60 murals depicting the area's rich history and beautiful natural scenery are painted on walls scattered throughout the town and buildings along the roadside. The murals attract an estimated 120,000 people to the town annually.
In the heart of Sheffield, there are a number of studios open to the public where visitors can watch the artists as they do their work. Artists of every discipline, including photography, fine art, glass, woodcraft, pottery, ceramics and specialised crafts.
The Wilderness Gallery Mural Fest art competition has been held annually since 2003 and will return again in April 2011. The poem for the next competition is "Power of Community" by PB Tewson. After each competition the 9 finalist murals remain on display at Mural Park for approximately 12 months until the next competition.
There are many natural attractions in the Sheffield area.
Mount Roland
Mount Roland is the backdrop of the Sheffield township rising up 1234 metres above sea level.Mount Roland Conservation Area & Regional Reserve
The reserve consists of 7600 hectares surrounding the range. A number of well marked bushwalks are all suitable for a day of pleasant exercise. There are walking tracks from both Claude Road and Gowrie Park to the summit. The walk takes in the plains and plateau leading to the summit of the peak. There are two tracks to the summit which provide spectacular 360 degree views to Bass Strait, Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff.
Lake Barrington
Lake BarringtonLake Barrington (Tasmania)
Lake Barrington is an artificial lake in northern Tasmania, 40 km south of Devonport. It is 20 km long-Creation:It was built on the Forth River in 1969 to provide a head of water for the Devils Gate Power Station...
is known as an international standard rowing venue and a previous site of the 1990 World Rowing Championships
1990 World Rowing Championships
The 19th World Rowing Championships were held between 31 October and 4 November 1990 at Lake Barrington in Tasmania, Australia.-Medal summary:- Medals table :...
. It was created in 1969 by building the Devils Gate Dam on the Forth River.
The lake is also a popular water ski location with access for the public via West Kentish and Wilmot. There are two water ski clubs based at Lake Barrington: Kentish Aquatic Club and Horsehead Water Ski Club.
The lake is also used for canoeing and trout fishing. There is an adventure playground and a two-hour rainforest walk. Facilities for visitors include picnic sites, boat ramps and toilet facilities.
Devils Gate Dam
The Devils Gate Dam has an overhanging crest allows flood water to freefall to the river bed, with up to 2000 tonnes of water falling every second during an extreme flood.It is one of the thinnest concrete arch dams in the world. It was completed by the Hydro-Electric Commission in 1969 and is 84 m high. The narrowness of the gorge and the computer-aided design of its double-curvature shape enabled engineers to minimise the volume of concrete and hence the cost of the dam. Flood waters falling freely from the crest strike concrete slabs carefully positioned on the abutments to prevent undermining of the dam by erosion.
Lake Cethana
The walk starts at the junction just before turning into the Lemonthyme Lodge. The walk takes about 2 hours. This is another good walk to observe all the varieties of vegetation of the area. After crossing 2 areas of cleared land the track crosses a fern gully, beyond which there is more forest until the track finally terminates in the back water of the lake. This walk is graded as hard because the return trip is a long haul back uphill. Duration 2 hoursKimberley Warm Springs
Kimberley Warm SpringsKimberley Warm Springs
Kimberley Warm Springs are a geothermal feature and semi-developed visitor site located within the town of Kimberley, north west Tasmania.The Springs are located within the Kimberley Warm Springs Reserve managed by Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania...
are a geothermal feature and semi-developed visitor site located within the town of Kimberley. The micro climate created by the warm springs results in a unique habitat.
Gowrie Park
The small town of Gowrie Park is located 16 km south of Sheffield. It is a useful starting point for people wanting to spend their day climbing Mount Roland. The town has a history as a HydroHydro Tasmania
Hydro Tasmania, known for most of its history as The HEC, is the government owned enterprise which is the predominant electricity generator in the state of Tasmania, Australia...
construction village.
Cradle Mountain
Cradle MountainCradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain is a mountain in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia. Rising to 1,545 metres above sea level it is one of the principal tourist sites in Tasmania, owing to its natural beauty...
is approximately one hour's drive south-west of the township. The mountain is accessible from the northern end of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. There are numerous walks available, ranging from short to multi-day.
Hydro control centre
Most of the South West and West Coast Hydro TasmaniaHydro Tasmania
Hydro Tasmania, known for most of its history as The HEC, is the government owned enterprise which is the predominant electricity generator in the state of Tasmania, Australia...
power stations are controlled from the Hydro control centre in Sheffield